


Batman: Riddler's Awe

by TowerofBabel



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman: Arkham - All Media Types
Genre: Edward Nygma is the Riddler, F/M, Gen, Other, Stephanie Brown is Spoiler, Tim Drake is Red Robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28415523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TowerofBabel/pseuds/TowerofBabel
Summary: Riddler invades Wayne Manor and takes everyone hostage. After finding the secret entrance to the Batcave, he appears displeased that the greatest riddle has been solved. He rants on his daughter Engima after they discover Tim Drake and Stephane Brown in another part of the cave enjoying some private time away from the party above ground...
Relationships: Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Comments: 7
Kudos: 5





	Batman: Riddler's Awe

Edward Nygma was in awe with what he was seeing. The aptly named Batcave was like an expansive universe of its own violation.

When Jake Handles had lead him down the spiral staircase behind the grandfather clock in the Wayne Study, he never imagined that it would take him to a subterranean world filled with a confederation of fantasy that belonged to fiction. Jules Verne would be absolutely envious at the sight and it would no doubt inspire a sequel to _Journey to the Centre of the Earth_.

This meant only one thing: Bruce Wayne was the infamous Batman, and his family, his ego-centric cohorts.

Answers to questions Nygma had had asked himself for years came flooding to the surface as if they were a burst of godly light.

Jake Handles story of Dick Grayson recruited into Spyral now had a worthwhile antiphon to conclude the tale, the last piece of the puzzle. Dick Grayson was a member of the Batfamily, ergo, conclusively, he had to be the acrobatic showman: Nightwing. Timothy Drake was Red Robin. And the very annoying and reviled youngest member with a vituperator mouth Damian Wayne was Robin. Then there were all their associates, too many to count. But now, with this information, he could deduce all their identities.

He stood at the threshold of the Batcave's magnificence, and admittedly, he felt an admiration for its conception and design; open concept, utilizing every ounce of space, wasting none. He stepped further into its centre, and gazed longingly at its vastness, taking in its multi-tiers, catwalks, and advanced technology. No wonder Batman could fight crime with the toys he had, he could afford them in abundance. With Batman and Bruce Wayne being one: the battle to fight crime was endless with limitless capital.

But Nygma refused to show his full enthusiasm, keeping it to himself.

Instead, he ventured out further to wander amongst its cabal to explore. He even put a hand on the Batmobile, feeling along its sleek surface, that sat centre stage on a rotunda platform as if it was the main feature amongst the trophies set about. Trophies taken as spoils of war. Like an enormous two-sided coin. No doubt brought back from one of Harvey Two-Face's known capers. Or a very tall Joker's playing card, as if it had come directly from the tale of _Alice in Wonderland_. And then there were others.

Not to mention the armoury and the glass capsules of costumes all exhibited with a narcissistic ego at its heart.

Last but not least, Bruce Wayne laying in state in a stasis chamber, asleep and incapacitated, and not an issue, as Jake Handles had inferred, apprehended by one of their comrade-in-arms, who was not present in the Batcave at the moment. But Nygma had been told the man in question had been associated with Jake Handles original plot to destroy Dick Grayson.

Duela Dent was not with them, off by instruction to find Timothy Drake and Stephane Brown. But Nygma knew if Duela was here, she would no doubt be awestruck and speechless.

"Well, Edward? What do you think?" Handles had stayed quiet to allow Nygma to wander, but now he smiled largely, as if appealing for praise in finding a grandiose treasure. They had ventured back out into the main area after an exploratory walk.

Nygma looked at Handles. He was about to speak, when his cell phone chimed. Deep under tons of bedrock, there should not be a signal. But this was the Batcave and he didn't need to wonder why. He answered it.

On the other end was the very man whom he had given his bloody handkerchief to.

When the brief call ended, Nygma then said: "It would appear a trick has been pulled and a rather clever one at that. I believe it's what the magician calls the _Misdirection_. We have been duped."

Handles eyed him. "What do you mean?"

Nygma explained. "The blood disappeared from my handkerchief that you used to wipe your hands after you beat Dick Grayson. The man whom we believed to be _him_ was, in truth, a charlatan, perhaps some sort of shapeshifter. My only conclusion is someone was in his place who had a magician's ability to trick the well keen eye. If we would go back to the Den, I would also assume that the blood on the floor is also gone that came from this fake."

Handles looked introspectively, then swore. "Arkells! He has the ability to morph due to fusing with an artificial intelligence, similar to my situation. But when was the switch done? Do you think?"

"This may explain the missing time reference I inquired about, whereas Dick Grayson had incapacitated one of my men, for which a second man then brought him down to the Den," Nygma mused. "Arkells much have disguised himself as an unconscious Dick Grayson, and Barbara Gordon knew all along it was not him. Such a wonderful actress, I must applaud her acting skills. Therefore, we must conclude the real Dick Grayson aka Nightwing is on the loose somewhere on the grounds."

"We must find him. Mount a counter offensive, Nygma! Tell your men to search the grounds and find Nightwing!"

Nygma suddenly became very angry and slammed the base of his Q-Staff to the floor, the metallic sound echoing the chambers.

Handles confounded, asked, "Edward, what's wrong?"

"My name is Riddler!" he snapped. "Use it as directed. And be so kind as to refrain from being so familiar with me, Mr. Handles. As for the my abrupt condemnation…You sir, are a bonafide narcissist, and a loathsome excuse for a human being!"

Jake Handles locked gazes with Riddler and expressed shock and dismay. "What? How dare you! Why this sudden contempt?"

Riddler gestured outwardly. "This…You egregiously broke the rules of the game. A riddle poised, but never answered, forever in wonderment, exciting and thrilling to bestow when finally learned, but to be acquired through struggle and strife. But you merely telling me spoils the effort and the effect of its discovery. The journey is half the fun, Mr. Handles."

"What are you babbling about?"

"You cheated to get to the endgame without garnering experience points, to use a video game analogy. Enigma often does this to win her video games and I so detest that action. You used secret knowledge you collected within Spyral to skip levels. The fun is the journey, to enjoy the thrill. Now that I know the Caped Crusader's secret, the greatest riddle of all, the game is spoiled. You should never cheat! That is a core value I play by. I tease Batman with riddles to test his resolve. And Batman always plays fair. I do hate Batman, but I can respect him for at least that. You sir, I do _not_ respect."

"Watch it, Nygma," Handles warned, still using his surname. "What you now know, you can rule Gotham City with an iron fist, terrorize the streets, and blackmail Batman and his family. All I want is Nightwing, you can manipulate the rest."

"That is not the point!" Riddler was angry. He slammed his Q-Staff to the ground again, this time chipping the floor. A piece of concentrate went flying and bounced along the ground.

Handles snorted. "Then _you_ miss the point entirely, _Edward_ ," he said, speaking his name with ridicule.

"' _My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go'_. Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 3, lines 100-103. In other words, this sin will not be forgiven."

"You're naive, Edward. The large problem with 'playing' with Batman is you give him too much reach, and your cockiness will be your undoing. It is time to put the legend of the Batman to rest. If I had to 'cheat', then so be it."

Riddler grit his teeth. He felt violated, stealing his thunder in learning the Caped Crusader's ultimate secret on his own. And yet not knowing was an exciting part of battling Batman. "Then you fail to see the value of my plight against Batman." He scowled. "But do not take this as defending him. What drives me and gives me the zest for life is to defeat the Caped Crusader on equal grounds, a battle of wits, who is the smartest. Crushing Batman's spirit is what counts. And with a snap of finger, you took that away from me!"

"You test my patience, Edward."

Just then, a voice rang out from the distance, echoing from a surrounding chamber, running adjacent to the main cave, and following Timothy Drake and Stephane Brown by gunpoint was Nygma's eccentric daughter, Enigma. "Hey, Pops! Look what I found?"

She had an idiosyncratic personality that often danced on Riddler's mind like ravenous burning nerves and it had an immediate irksome effect, incensing him. But she was his kinship and he blamed her mother for most of her mental issues. However, her childish antics were entirely of her own design, and for that he blamed society. On that, the parents were not to blame.

Timothy Drake had his hands behind his head, fingers interlocked, and was partially undressed, looking improper and wild, his hair ruffled, while Stephane Brown was dressed mostly conservatively and preen, walking without restraint, with a black cat in her arms.

Nygma looked at the cat and thought it looked similar to that that escaped the Study. But he wondered how it gone down here?

As for his daughter, he sighed dejected. Her vernacular and mannerisms needed education.

He replied, "Enigma, within mixed company, act accordingly, and do not infer to me in such defamatory, paterfamilias, especially by the term: _Pops_."

Enigma smacked her teeth in condemnation. "Sorry, Dad," she said. "Is that better?"

Riddler sighed still. "I suppose that will be satisfactory," he said.

Recalling prior, after Nygma had called ahead to the Ballroom to alert his men that Richard Grayson and Barbara Gordon would be arriving, he then checked an App on his phone. Enigma's phone had a tracker on it that he installed in secret, so he could follow her movements. So, he knew she was underground even before he was escorted by Jake Handles.

At first, he couldn't explain why. Now, with the advent of the Batcave, it became clear. But the method that brought her here was still a mystery. How did she get here if not by the secret staircase behind the grandfather clock in the Study, or the elevator that he took notice of when as he glanced around on his walk?  
So, he asked her.

She explained that she followed Alfred, the cat, through a storage closest, that was left ajar, serviceable in the Kitchen, that lead to a secret passageway, and a staircase, and probably missed when Nygma's men were searching places after the takeover. She said she was in the Kitchen looking for a snack and found a chocolate bar in the bread basket.

The cat didn't see her and moved quickly, and she learned the secret door in the closest was activated by a hidden floor switch. She said she was amazed that the cat knew how to activate it— _the mystery of cats_ —and it lead her down to a connecting tunnel system. She explored and found her way at the very end and to an area being built or renovated, an expansion from the main cave area.

"I still can't believe I'm in the infamous Batcave! So, cool!" she said.

"I told Alfred we needed a hidden fingerprint reader in the closest," Tim said off-handedly to Steph.

"Then I found these two _doing it_ in one of the back caves," she then said. "I have some pretty good night vision shots, too." She held her gun loose and then flipped through her phone after retrieving it from her pocket. "I'm going to enhance these and post them online. I have friends who love watching this kind of stuff." She chuckled.

Nygma put up a hand. "Under no circumstances are you to post those pictures online," he said. "Morally speaking, what they were _doing_ was private. Do not engage in that crassness and discourtesy."

" _Awww…_ " Enigma complained.

"Um, thanks, Edward?" Tim said.

Nygma then instructed her to delete them. And she complained again, but ultimately did so, as he looked as her with a dagger stare.

Nygma then noticed the state of the cat and he went over to Stephane Brown. He was taller than the blonde-haired girl, and she gazed up into the whiteout covering portions of his mask like she was looking directly into his eyes. He looked down at her. She wasn't afraid of him in the slightest. Of course not, she was a member of the infamous Batfamily.

Her pseudonym was _Spoiler_ , and she was also once a female Robin, and daughter to the criminal known as the _Cluemaster_.

She cradled the animal. It acted like it was sleeping, but Nygma knew when there was activity, cats didn't react in this manner. They were normally alert and agitated. He became a little concerned.

"Greetings, Ms. Brown," he said cordially. "Is there something wrong the animal?"

"Yeah, your daughter's a psycho!" Tim said fearlessly, speaking out instead. "She hit Alfred."

Nygma looked past Tim, to Enigma. "Is this true? Did you hurt the animal?" He saw Enigma's reaction, she looked speechless and bewildered. Nygma then placed a hand on Alfred's head and gave it few pets of kindness. "Forgive my daughter's actions. I may not appear the sort, but I am an animal advocate. I fund certain animal rights groups in secret. I pray he'll be fine."

"It tried to attack me!" Enigma then said in protest.

"On Treasure Island, I had two adult lionesses," Handles put in. "I rescued them from a poachers and raised them from cubs. They were beautiful animals and wonderful companions. But they died after Harvey Two-Face murdered them, betraying me. But it wouldn't have come to that if it wasn't for the Batfamily involving themselves in my affairs. One more reason why I hate this family!"

Internally, Nygma was questioning his reasons for being here. Handles had hired him for a job, but the true objective was lost, and he had learned an important and crucial bit of information regarding his enemy. However, he also felt a certain dejection in knowing that information. For a few moments, he wished he had not agreed to his partner's proposal. But he was here and there was no point dwelling in past decisions.

"Secure both of them," Riddler ordered, giving direction to his daughter.

Enigma pushed Tim forward.

It was then Tim eyed Handles, and Riddler saw this. Tim seemed to look longingly at him. "And who are you? The financier?"

"You could say that," Jake Handles smirked. "You were not on Treasure Island when I fought your family. If I recall, you had issues at home and had to remain behind. Therefore, we have not been properly introduced. My name is Jake Handles."

Tim paused. And yet he didn't act surprised, as if seeing people come back from the dead was an often occurrence. As Red Robin, he most likely did, Nygma wagered. "Wait. But you're dead? I was told you dropped into an open crevasse and killed yourself."

Handles spread his arms out in glorious, winded epiphany. "An illusion—like the whole Dick Grayson affair, and how everyone believed Nightwing had been shot with amnesia. I was behind the whole plot to destroy him and I will _still_ succeed in my endeavour. Now that I have people he cares about, he'll come to me. And we'll have one final battle. A battle to end all things. As I was duped above, as someone said" —he looked to Riddler— "perhaps you or your girlfriend will provide me a method to release some of my current frustration? Stephane Brown, may I say that you are very beautiful?"

"Don't you touch her! I swear I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth if you lay a finger on her!" Tim threatened.

Tim charged Handles, but Enigma quickly came to the rescue, and whacked him across the back of the head with her gun, knocking him to the ground, and out cold.

"Tim!" Stephane cried, taking a step forward.

Enigma then turned her gun on Stephane Brown. "No funny thoughts, sweetie, or I'll put a bullet in him. Now, come with me…" She clutched the back of her dress, and pushed her forward.

To where, Stephane didn't know.

But it was a short concern. She was ankle shackled to a wall with a makeshift device and a chain, allowed to sit in a chair, but far away from anything she could use as a weapon. She held onto Alfred, but when he awoke, she was to be responsible to keep him under control, or the cat would be shot. Warned by Enigma.

Tim was dragged by Handles and attached to a wall with iron metal square brackets that he hammered in and secured around Tim's wrists, just like in a medieval torture scene, and his body was left to hang unconscious.

"Now it is a waiting game," Handles said. "But I won't be caught off guard by my old Spyral colleague. As I said, I brought a surprise with me, and I'll use it to destroy Grayson with along with the rest of his family!"

_To be continued..._


End file.
